Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2020

Notes:
As per the 2019 ‘Global Go To Think Tank Index Report’, Indian think tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF) has been placed among the top 30 think tanks globally, at rank 27.
The report is released by the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. The list was topped by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace of the United States. Last year, ORF was placed at 118th position, more than 90 ranks below the current rank. The Raisina Dialogue, jointly organised by ORF is also ranked 7th best conference globally.

Notes:
As a part of the USD 10 million commitment of Google to media literacy, the tech-major recently announced a $1 million grant for a non-profit news literacy organisation called Internews. The fund has been launched by Google News Initiative (GNI), to counter fake news and misinformation in India by building a strong network of senior reporters and journalists. The initiative aims to conduct workshops and camps in Indian cities to inculcate news literacy and avoid fake online information.

Notes:
The state government of Punjab recently declared to ban all types of online lottery schemes in the state. The ban of lottery schemes has been made under the Lotteries (Regulation) Act 1998.
This step is expected to curb illegal lottery business in the state and to boost the tax and non-tax revenue of the state government. The Cabinet also approved to prohibit the sale of online lotteries, operated through vending machines and online scheme tickets, promoted by other states.

Notes:
Indian ace Basketball player and Captain, P Mathew Satya Babu recently passed away at 79 years in Chennai. He had represented India in the three Asian Basketball Championships conducted in Seoul, Bangkok and Manila from 1967 to 1970. He also served as the captain of the Indian team during the 6th Bangkok Asian Games.
Mathew Satya Babu was a qualified basketball coach and a referee. He had coached the state basketball team of Tamil Nadu and the men and women teams of Indian Railways.

Notes:
The 21-year-old American tennis star Sofia Kenin won her maiden Grand slam title, as she won the women’s singles title in the Australian Open tournament.
She defeated the other finalist Garbine Muguruza 4-6 6-2 6-2 and became the youngest winner of the tournament, after Maria Sharapova clinched the trophy before 12 years. The mixed doubles title of the event was won by the duo -Barbora Krejcikova of Czech Republic and Croatia’s Nikola Mektic. While Krejcikova retained her mixed doubles crown, Nikola won his maiden trophy.

Notes:
Indian Public sector bank, Bank of Baroda recently signed an MoU with Indian credit rating agency, Care Ratings. The pact aims to assess credit quality of the small and medium enterprises (SME) customers of the bank.
The rating agency is expected to evaluate the credit quality of the existing and potential SME customers of the bank. The creditworthiness of enterprises is provided on an eight-point scale by the ratings agency. This agreement will strengthen the process of loan-evaluation and help the SMEs in obtaining finance faster.

Notes:
Pramod Agrawal assumed charge as the new Chairman and Managing Director of Coal India Ltd, a Maharatna Public Sector Enterprise.
Public Enterprises Selection Board recommended the name of the 1991 batch IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh cadre for the post of Chairman and Managing Director. Prior to this appointment, he was serving as the Principal Secretary for urban development and housing department in Madhya Pradesh. He replaced A K Jha, who retired as the chairman of Coal India Ltd on January 31, 2020.

Notes:
Veteran Indian diplomat Gopal Baglay was recently appointed as the India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. Gopal Baglay, who is currently serving at the Prime Minister’s Office, is expected to assume charge in a short time.
He has succeeded Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who has recently been appointed as the Indian Ambassador to the United States. Gopal Baglay is a 1992-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service and has held several important positions during his career. He has served as the Deputy High Commissioner of India to Pakistan and Spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry.

Notes:
India and Maldives signed 5 agreements for establishing ‘Addu Tourism zone’ in five islands of Addu atoll. An atoll is a ring-shaped chain of islands formed of coral.
The Tourism zone is expected to be set up at a cost of $2.49 million. It aims at generating local employment and boost the eco-tourism opportunities in Addu. The High Commissioner of India Sunjay Sudhir signed the MoUs with the Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid and Addu City Council. Another MoU to establish a bottled water plant in Hoarafushi was also inked.

Notes:
Kenya’s longest-serving president, Daniel Arap Moi, who ruled the country for 24 years, passed away recently. He assumed charge as the President of the country in 1978, when the founding President Jomo Kenyatta died.
He was seen as a uniting figure by many Kenyans. During his reign, he passed a constitutional amendment that made Kenya a one-party state. Then he surrendered to the demands of a multi-party state in 1991. Corruption, economic crisis and political protests were reported in the East African country.